Tali's Homestead
by Shootingstar7123
Summary: On Rannoch, Tali builds a home and accidentally falls in love. Tali'Zorah/Kar'Danna, some Shepard/Garrus. Takes place in the same universe as "Starlight".


Tali's Homestead

(a vignette from the Starlight universe)

…

On Rannoch, Tali builds a home and accidentally falls in love. Tali'Zorah/Kar'Danna, some Shepard/Garrus.

…

Disclaimer: This author in no way profits from the writing of this story. All characters, dialogue, or other referenced material from the Mass Effect trilogy belongs to Bioware.

…

A/N: I toyed with the idea of making Kal'Reegar survive because I totally ship him and Tali. But something led me in another direction for this, and I let poor Kal'Reegar rest. Kar'Danna, if you don't remember him, was the captain of the Rayya, where Tali grew up and where her trial was held in ME2.

…

Tali wiped the sweat from her forehead, not noticing the novelty of it at the moment. She was too focused on the building plans on her omni-tool to consider how strange it was to be without her helmet. She stood in the middle of the building site she'd selected for her home, surrounded by supplies and machinery. She was so focused, in fact, that she didn't notice the skycar landing in the field behind her. She finally turned at the sound of someone calling her name.

"Captain Danna!" she exclaimed in surprise as she turned. "I thought you'd still be on the Rayya." She tried not to stare at his uncovered face. She (and every other girl on the Rayya) had a crush on him when he'd ascended to captain a couple of years before she left for pilgrimage. He was unusually young for a captain, and he'd always looked nice in the suit. His rear, she remembered, had always been well worth admiring. Now she could see his face was just as nice.

"I've volunteered to oversee this sector," he told her. "I'm interested in becoming a man of the land, so to speak. I see your adventurous spirit brought you here as well."

She blushed a little, hating how easily anyone could see it now that she didn't wear her mask. "My father always swore he'd get me a house on the homeworld. I decided to see that through myself."

"I can see that," he agreed, looking over at the partially-built structure. "Are you doing it all alone?"

She shook her head. "I have geth assistance for a few hours every day. Some parts of this take more than two hands, you know."

He nodded, his eyes running over the stone foundation. "I see you're using native materials. You could be finished already if you'd gone for a prefab."

"I didn't want that," she said quietly. "I wanted a real house. To live like our ancestors lived."

"It's a worthy goal," he said, looking at her with admiration. She blushed again.

"I'll come by again when I can," he said. "Maybe I can be a second set of hands for you."

"You don't have to," she said, flustered. "But thank you."

He smiled at her in a way that made her knees weak before turning back to his skycar and flying away.

Tali fanned herself, knowing it wasn't just Rannoch's native heat that was making her feel so warm.

_Keelah save me from handsome captains,_ she thought, and pulled up her omni-tool again. She couldn't allow herself to become distracted from her goal.

…

Only a few days passed before Kar'Danna stopped by a second time. This time, he was prepared to stay a few hours and lend his hands to the task.

"Overseeing things gives me very little chance to work with my hands," he said. "I came to Rannoch to work. I think most of us did."

"Though most of us are more used to engine grease than dirt," Tali agreed, smiling. She liked the way his eyes crinkled when he smiled back.

They worked companionably, placing studs for the interior walls for a couple of hours before Kar'Danna had to move on.

After checking the time on his omni-tool, he gave a small sigh. "Well, I promised that I'd head over to the other side of town today," he said, referencing the main settlement a short distance from Tali's land. "There's been some conflict between a geth unit and a settler." He shook his head, seeming as bemused as all of them were at working with the geth. But he'd been more willing to change than most.

"I'll come visit again soon," he promised.

"I'll look forward to it," she said, not realizing just how true her words were. "Thank you, Captain Danna."

"I'm not a captain anymore," he said. "So please, just call me Kar."

She nodded, though she knew she'd have to break a lifetime of training to manage it.

As his skycar rose, she turned back to the building site, not feeling quite as eager now to work alone. There were a couple of geth units coming to help before the afternoon was out, but she knew it was those _particular_ helping hands that she wished for.

…

Time moved on and Kar proved reliable. He showed up no less than twice a week to check Tali's progress and help with anything she needed. While they worked, they talked. About the fleet, about engineering, even their mutual love for Fleet and Flotilla! After a few weeks, Kar dared to ask why she'd given up her place as admiral after the war.

"It seems silly to be a land-bound admiral," she said, shrugging as she put down the pile of sun-cured bricks she was carrying. "Besides, they only asked me because of the war with the geth. I saw that and the reaper war through. They have no need of me now."

Kar set down a pile of bricks next to hers and wiped his forehead with the back of his hand. "So are you against holding any kind of leadership position, or just that one?"

"Why?" she asked, suspicious. Tilting her head, she moved to grab the bottle of filtered water from her work table.

"Well…" He paused, eyeing her. "The settlement—which we're now calling Sanna'lai, by the way—needs an official geth liason. I thought of you."

Tali's eyes went wide. "Me?" She huffed a laugh. "You do know I'm more an expert at killing geth than working with them, right?"

A hint of a smile curved Kar's lips. "I read your reports, Tali. All of them. You worked side by side with a geth long before any of us thought it possible."

She shook her head, trying not to show the way her heart leapt at his admission. "Not by my choice, Kar. Commander Shepard made that happen. I was just… battered into submission." Most people didn't seem to realize what a _force_ Shepard was. There was never really much choice but to go along!

"You give yourself too little credit." He took a step closer, his hand coming to cover her arm. "You saw what the rest of us couldn't see. You're a natural leader, Tali."

Tali stared into his face, hardly able to believe his words. "I… I'll think about it."

"That's all I ask," he said with a smile, and stepped back. Before Tali could comprehend the feeling of disappointment she felt at their renewed distance, he was speaking again. "Of course, if you take the job you'll have to come into town every once in a while." His tone was teasing now, his eyes glowing brightly. "I wasn't sure if you were avoiding the settlement on purpose or not."

"No!" Tali protested. "I'm just focused." She looked over her building site, which was starting to look much more like a house now. "Well… obsessed, maybe."

"You should come to town," Kar said. His expression shifted slightly and she couldn't quite read it. "There's a bar that's opened up. Everyone's gathering there in the evenings with drinks, music, and dancing. You should come sometime."

Tali had gotten a message from an old friend that had mentioned it and had invited Tali to come along. At the time she'd been too focused on her house to accept the invitation. "Maybe I will."

"Tell me when you're going," he said, "and I'll make sure to meet you there."

…

Tali ran her hands over her suit self-consciously as she walked through Sanna'lai with her friend, Shira'Vonn. She and Shira had grown up together on the Rayya and had gone on Pilgrimage at the same time. They'd ended up on different ships afterwards, but Shira had sought to reconnect when they'd both decided to move to the homeworld. They had exchanged a few messages, but Tali hadn't taken her up on the offer to spend time together until now.

"What are you so nervous for?" Shira asked. "It's for everyone else to impress you rather than the other way around. You're a war hero, you know!"

"Don't say that!" Tali said, squeezing her friend's arm. "It's still too strange to hear it."

"You'd better get used to it," Shira replied. "You'll be getting plenty of attention tonight."

Tali groaned. "Keelah, this was a bad idea." They stepped inside the bar, little more than a glorified warehouse, and looked around. It was already filling up with people. Most quarians were without helmets now, though it was still strange to see everyone's faces. A couple of people weren't even wearing gloves! A few quarians were playing live music in one corner of the warehouse, while others were lined up at the makeshift bar in another. There was an open space for a dance floor in the middle—still empty this early in the evening—and some booths and tables on the far side of the room.

"Let's grab a booth before they fill up," Shira said, guiding Tali that direction. When they'd sat down, Shira eyed her friend. "Is there a reason you don't want all the attention?" she asked. A number of quarians were looking their way, though none of the strangers had acquired enough liquid courage to approach yet. "Even if you're not interested in settling down, it's not nearly so much of a risk these days to have a fling. You probably wouldn't even get sick."

"I just don't like the attention, that's all," Tali said. She turned her head to look as the door opened and a few more patrons entered. Not seeing who she was looking for, she turned back to Shira.

Her friend had a slow grin spread her lips. "Or… maybe you already have someone in mind?"

Tali's eyes went wide. "No! No, not at all! There's no one."

Shira looked out at the rest of the bar and smiled. "Right. Well I think 'no one' just walked in and is heading this way. I'm going to go get us some drinks."

Shira laughed as Tali's head shot around to lock on Kar'Danna, who was making his way directly to their table.

…

Tali got home completely flustered and less drunk than she would have liked. She was forced to keep her wits about her to avoid the advances of the increasingly gutsy crowd! The only one who had been a complete gentleman was Kar'Danna.

"_May I have this dance, Tali'Zorah?"_ he'd asked, holding out his hand. Her heart had done things that couldn't possibly be healthy. She had no idea what words came out of her mouth, but she must have said yes as she put her hand in his and moved out to the dance floor. It would have been perfect if it weren't for the _other _interested parties. She accepted dances with a few, but refused the drinks and the less savory offers. And _he_ was always there for her to return to.

Tali entered the makeshift structure she'd been sleeping in and pulled up her omni-tool. "What time is it on Elysium?" she muttered, before remembering that Elysium was an entire _planet_ and she had no idea what the name of the nearest town to Shepard was. She decided she didn't care what time it was there, and Shepard probably wouldn't care either. So she made the call.

It rang for a few moments before a face popped up on the screen. "Garrus?" she said in surprise.

"Don't sound so disappointed," he said with a chuckle and a heavy dose of sarcasm. "You called me, after all."

"I called _Shepard_," she said. "Is she around?"

"She's out back. Why are you in such a hurry to get rid of me?" His eyes showed his amusement.

Tali rolled her eyes. "Garrus, I really, really need to talk to a girl right now! Now shoo!" She waved him away.

Garrus disappeared from the frame, leaving Tali staring at the inside of the couple's shared office. He'd seemed happy and relaxed, so different from the stressed, worried person he'd been during the war and Shepard's recovery. Their house looked nice, bright and airy, with weapons displayed on the office wall alongside a mostly empty bookshelf. After a couple of agonizingly long minutes, Shepard appeared in a tank top and shorts, with fading scars and a slight sunburn adorning her skin.

"So good to see you, Tali!" she said, grinning widely. "Garrus said you needed me for 'girl talk'… whatever that means."

"I do," she said. "I need help." Tali took a deep breath. "Shepard, I think I'm falling in love with Kar'Danna."

Shepard blinked. "Who?"

"Captain Danna!" Tali all but wailed. "From the Rayya. You met him!"

Shepard blinked again, her brow furrowing slightly. "From your trial, right." She tilted her head, a touch of a mischievous smile curving her lips. "Isn't he a bit old for you?"

"Shepard!" Tali exclaimed, and Shepard laughed. "He's handsome," Tali defended. "You'd understand if you saw his face."

"Is it just his face you like?" Shepard asked, still smiling.

"No! It's his voice and his strong hands and how nice he is… and _keelah_, the man has a fantastic butt!" Both women dissolved into laughter at that.

"Tali, as far as I'm concerned, all quarians have fantastic butts," Shepard said with a laugh. "So I'll take your word for it. But why is this cause for a panicked late-night call?"

Ignoring that Shepard somehow knew what time it was there, Tali tried to address the issue at hand. "Because I'm scared! What if he doesn't love me back? Keelah, what if he _does_?" She threw her hands up. "What do I do?"

Shepard's eyes sparkled with mirth. "Love is absolutely terrifying, isn't it?"

"It's the worst!" Tali agreed. "And the best," she added with a sigh.

Shepard's smile turned soft. "Tell me everything."

It took the better part of an hour for Tali to finish her tale, leaving Shepard to consider all she'd heard.

"It sounds to me like Kar has been trying to show you how much he cares," she said. "You've been responsive, but you haven't taken any initiative. Maybe it's time for you to do something to show him what he means to you."

"What if he was just being nice? What if he doesn't want anything but friendship?" Tali asked, overcome with her fears.

Shepard smiled. "Tali, think back to when we were with Cerberus on the SR-2. What did you and the crew think about me and Garrus?"

"That you were both oblivious idiots and should get together already," Tali said immediately.

Shepard laughed, blushing slightly. "And I was still completely terrified when I asked him to spend the night with me. When you're on the inside, you can't see what other people see. Follow your heart, Tali, I don't think it will lead you astray."

"Thank you, Shepard," Tali said, her eyes getting moist. She thought calling Shepard would make her miss her friend less, but it only made Tali miss her more! She longed for the times when they were only a few decks apart. But this was life—things change, people move on. They had their own homes now.

Shepard's expression made it clear she was feeling the same thing. "As soon as your house is done, call me," she said. "Garrus and I will be your first visitors, I promise."

"I'll hold you to that," Tali said, smiling back. "Goodbye Shepard."

…

The following day, Tali worked slowly while mulling over Shepard's words. She needed to show Kar how much she cared for him. But how?

She wasn't as brave as Shepard—keelah, she couldn't imagine just walking up to Kar and asking him to come to bed with her! Besides, all she had now was a little cot, not at all conducive to lovemaking. Not that she had any experience in that department, but still. It had to be something a little more subtle, but meaningful. Tali wanted to show him how much of a fixture he'd become in her life.

Tali shot up from where she'd been bent over a roll of wire. She had just the thing! She dropped the wire and pulled up her omni-tool, studying her home's floor plan. There was still time to make some changes.

The next time Kar came to help, Tali noticed the sound of the approaching skycar immediately. She'd been on high alert for that sound for a while, she realized. She wrung her hands nervously as she waited for him to land.

After a warm greeting—_was it friendship or more?_ she still wondered—Tali pulled up her omni tool for him. "I've made some changes to the plan," she said, trying to hide her nerves. "I realized I wasn't really thinking much of the future when I planned this place. I want to have somewhere for friends to stay if they come to visit. And this layout will make it easier to add an addition later on if I want to." She tried not to fidget as she watched him study it, hoping he'd make the inference she intended.

"What you've done makes sense. I can see how you could easily add on a few extra rooms." She saw Kar swallow hard. "After all, you might want to have a family someday." He slowly lifted his eyes to meet hers.

"I might," Tali said, barely recognizing her own voice. "With the right person."

She wasn't sure if she made the first move or he did, but within moments, their lips were engaged in a kiss. When he pulled back, Tali was motionless, shocked and breathless from the touch of his lips against her own.

Kar cleared his throat. "Well, if we're going to make these changes, we better get to work, shouldn't we?" His eyes were bright and, she thought, hopeful.

She smiled. "We should."

He turned then, to gather materials that were near the work bench. Before she followed him, Tali couldn't help but do a little dance of joy. Her first kiss!

They worked together in harmony that day, saying little but sharing small smiles and an abundance of laughter, despite having little to laugh at. Tali was floating on a cloud! She'd never been happier.

She could hardly sleep that night, her heart was so full. If only he could come visit every day! She didn't know how she was going to wait two or three days to see him!

…

Tali was disappointed not to see him on the second day. Worried on the third. On the fourth, she was despondent.

Did she read him wrong? Did he only see her as a friend?

But no, he'd kissed her. Maybe he regretted it? Or maybe he only saw her as a fling! She'd never felt like such an idiot in her life.

She cried over her bricks, over her wiring and plaster. She didn't dare message him and find out what he was really thinking. She didn't think she could bear to hear it directly from him. But there was no doubt in her mind; this was a rejection.

She didn't dare call Shepard either. She didn't want sympathy from her happily married friend. Especially since Shepard had been _wrong_. Tali knew it wasn't Shepard's fault, but she couldn't help feeling angry with her anyways. It was _her_ advice that Tali had followed! She didn't want to talk to her. Tali would wallow in her misery alone.

She continued working on her house, even the parts that she'd added for _him_. The walls went up. The systems went in. She ordered materials—paint and flooring and window shutters. The house would be finished soon. But she didn't feel the satisfaction she used to.

For a long time, owning her own home—living _alone_—had seemed like the height of luxury. On the flotilla they'd all been on top of each other all the time, living in bunks or tiny family quarters. But now it was beginning to feel like self-imposed exile. What good was this beautiful house when there was no one to enjoy it with?

She would finish it. She would have her house on the homeworld like her father had promised her. Like she'd promised herself. Maybe someday she'd start to appreciate it again. For now she would just… continue. What else was there to do?

…

On day nine without Kar'Danna, she heard the sound of a skycar. Tali turned, shading her eyes against the sun. It was _his_ car.

What was he doing here? Why now? Didn't he realize he'd made his point? Anxiety thrummed through her body as the car landed and he got out. She stared at him as he approached, more slowly than normal and lacking his usual smile.

"What are you doing here?" she asked as they stared at one another.

"I'm here to build," he said, as if it was obvious. There was a long pause before he continued, "I would have been here sooner, but I caught a fever and couldn't leave my bed for a few days. The docs finally let me out this morning and I—"

Tali stared at him, stunned. "You…. You _bosh'tet_!" Kar fell silent.

"I _worried_ about you!" she cried. "Then I thought you were rejecting me decided never to come back! You didn't think to send a single stupid message to tell me what was going on?" she ranted. Then she gasped. "Oh, keelah… you weren't sick because we kissed, were you?"

"Tali," Kar said, putting a hand on her arm. "Tali, please… I am so sorry. I didn't realize. And I'm not sick because of you. A child coughed in my face in town the day after I visited you. It put me down for a week. I'm a fool not to think to call or message. How can I possibly make it up to you?"

Tali stared into his pleading eyes and looked from there to his hand still on her arm. Every part of him radiated his sincerity. She loved him; she was sure of it now. Her anger had fled, leaving only her love for him.

She gathered her courage and thought maybe she could be like Shepard, just this once. "You could stay," she offered. "When the house is finished. And never leave me again." Her heart felt like it might beat right out of her chest, but the words felt right. She meant every one of them.

"Tali…" his voice was soft, almost worshipful, as he cupped her face with his free hand. "I would like nothing more." And he leaned in to kiss her.

When they finally pulled back from each other, he left his arm around her as if loath to break contact. He smiled, looked at the house, and asked her to show him her progress. They walked slowly together towards the building site that was soon to be a home.

…

Tali shifted from foot to foot anxiously as she and Kar'Danna waited for the shuttle to arrive. They were shaded from the bright Rannoch sun by the newly complete front porch. Several inviting lounge chairs stood behind them, but Tali couldn't possibly sit at a time like this.

Shepard and Garrus would arrive in mere minutes! They hadn't come _quite_ as quickly as promised—Shepard's message had said something about a mission with a few complications—but now Tali could finally show her friends her new home. Nearly a month of living in it hadn't even begun to dull her excitement.

Kar gave a low chuckle and put his arm around her to stop her fidgeting. "That's not going to make them get here any faster."

"I know, but I'm so excited!" she said. "I haven't seen them in forever." She was nervous, too, nervous about reintroducing them to Kar'Danna. If they didn't like him…

She was distracted from her thoughts by the sound of an incoming shuttle. _Finally!_ She watched in anticipation as the shuttle finally descended to land in front of the house. The door slid open to reveal a grinning Garrus.

"Shepard, Garrus, you remember Kar'Danna," Tali said nervously, barely waiting for them to exit the shuttle. Garrus came forward to shake Kar's hand, Shepard moving more slowly behind him. Tali froze when she saw Shepard cradling something to her chest.

"What is that?" Tali said, eyes wide on the bundle in Shepard's arms.

Shepard gave her friend a rueful grin. "Remember when I said we were wrapping up a really complicated mission?" She loosened the blanket on the bundle so that Tali could see a tiny turian face. "This is the complication."

Tali stared in shock, looking back and forth between the baby, Garrus, and Shepard.

Garrus smiled proudly down at the baby and back at Tali. "Tali, we want you to meet our son, Cassius Anderson Vakarian."

Tali squealed with delight. "Give him to me! Can I be his godmother? Where did he come from? Tell me everything!"

Shepard laughed and carefully passed the baby over as Tali began to show them around. Tali's heart was full. With her friends and her love all together, her house had never felt so much like home.

…


End file.
